Going Green: Tips for an Energy Efficient Home

Going green is sweeping the nation both in businesses and at the home.  In the today’s world, reducing the carbon footprint should be everyone’s responsibility. You can do your part around the house to not only create an eco-friendly environment, but eventually lead to lower electric and water bills. If you are thinking of turning your home green, here are some simple tips.

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Start with basics.  When it comes to creating an eco-friendly home, there are a multitude of quick solutions to start with:

1. Replace all of your light bulbs with CFL’s.  it sounds simple but a surprising number of homeowners are still unaware of the reduced energy usage and power bill saving benefits of these kinds of lights.

2. Next, keep an eye out for appliances that are rarely used but remain plugged in.  Even when particular appliances are not in use, they still consume energy when connected to the outlet, causing unnecessary utility usage and expenses.

3. Finally, look for any leaky faucets, shower heads, and running toilets.  When faucets drip, even at hardly noticeable levels, your water bills can take a hit.  Consult with professionals to see what actions, if any, are needed to repair these issues.

More investment, more reward. If you are really looking to upgrade your home for maximum eco-friendliness, consider hiring professionals like the ones found here: http://www.roofingcontractorfl.com/tallahassee-roofing/.  This is because many homeowners do not realize the power that your roofing structure, windows, doors, and insulation have to make your home more energy efficient.  Old windows and doors consistently allow for cold air to escape in the summer, and warm air to get out in the winter.  This will drastically increase your HVAC system’s output, leading to high utility bills in these extreme weather cycles.  Also, a roofing structure that is old coupled with a poor ventilation and insulation system will contribute to poor HVAC performance.  Doing the proper renovations with the right experts will not only reduce your carbon footprint, but save you more money in the long-run, even with the higher initial investment in these projects.

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Keeping these basic tips in mind will put you on the right path towards achieving energy efficiency in your house.  Do your research and consult with industry experts to gain a deeper knowledge of ways to go green.  You may even find that going so far as to install solar panels to power your home will be very beneficial. In many places, there are both federal and local tax benefits to going green, so keep an eye out for those as well.  We should all be doing our part to help the environment.  These tips will help you do so around the house and with little effort!